Monthly Archives: May 2012

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MUFFY’S CLASSY CLASSICS CLUB/BEST ENEMIESWednesday, May 23 and Monday, May 28 @ 3 p.m.Muffy’s Classy Classics Club – Muffy buys all of the pretty books and pretty dolls in the Pretty Pioneers series, and invites her friends to join a pretty book club. But she can’t take their criticisms that the books are, well, rather poorly written. Will the book club disband or can Muffy open up to new literary experiences?Best Enemies – Mom has new clients coming over and they have a daughter who is D.W.’s age….and her name is even W.D.! They’re going to be the best of friends! Turns out, no. They don’t have anything in common. So D.W. and W.D. work together to convince their parents that they’ll just never get along…and somehow, have a lot of fun in the process.

BUSTER’S GARDEN OF GRIEF/THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASSThursday, May 24 and Wednesday, May 30 @ 3 p.m.Buster’s Garden of Grief – With Fritz gone, Buster is in charge of the community garden, but it proves to be too much for just one person. Can Buster and his friends put the “community” back in community gardening or will it end up getting paved over?Through the Looking Glasses – Arthur can’t find his glasses and has to get new ones, but all the attention he is getting from these new hipper glasses has gone straight to his head! Buster figures that it’s up to him to get the old Arthur back.

THE BUTLER DID…WHAT?/THE TROUBLE WITH TROPHIESFriday, May 25 @ 3 p.m.The Butler Did…What? – Bailey is missing! He just left, leaving no note. With the help of the Baxter Detective Agency, Muffy discovers a series of clues…an old class picture, a receipt for a trumpet and old jazz albums. And Muffy is left wondering, who exactly IS Bailey? And-will he ever come back!?The Trouble with Trophies – Everyone loves getting trophies, right? It turns out that Fern could not care less about them. Yet Muffy is convinced that Fern must be despairing about never having won anything, and she sets out to give Fern a prize no matter what…. whether Fern wants it or not.

Every picture tells a story, but in Fake or Fortune?valuable paintings are about to be treated as crime scenes. Beyond the genteel galleries and upmarket auction houses of the art world lies a dimension rarely seen – a darker side of incalculable wealth, social ambition and sometimes subterfuge. This engaging four-part mini-series follows a recognized art sleuth, a doctor of history and cutting edge scientists as they join forces to discover the truth behind controversial paintings. From Paris and Amsterdam to Cape Town and New York, they employ old-fashioned detective skills, real-time investigations and the latest forensic testing to reveal compelling tales of lost masterpieces, forgers and Nazi-looted art. Fake or Fortune? airs Monday evenings starting May 4th at 8:55pm. You can watch preview clips on the show’s BBC website.

#101 – Monet, Monet, Monet
In the art world, Monet means money. But in order to make big bucks, paintings thought to be painted by Monet must be accepted into the official register, the “catalogue raisonne” – a five-volume tome which lists every Monet in existence. For the last 18 years, art collector David has been imploring the Wildenstein family who publishes the catalog to accept his painting as a genuine Monet. Despite his research and support of the world’s heavyweight Monet scholars, Guy Wildenstein refuses to accept the painting. Is it or is it not a Monet?

#102 – Lost Picture
Fisherman Tony couldn’t believe his luck when he stumbled upon a pile of pictures apparently dumped at his favorite riverside spot. Fast forward 15 years and Tony, accompanied by his daughter, is told by Philip Mould at a recording of Antiques Roadshow that one of the pictures is an unknown work by Winslow Homer, worth £30,000.

#103 – The Genuine Article
The art world can be a bear pit with a myriad of tricksters at work. Hanging in one of the most prestigious and respected art institutes in London is a picture Philip has heard of, which may hold the key to unlocking the story of the most audacious forger of all time. Is this a forgery from Han Van Meegeren, a man who dared to fake the work of old masters and made millions from his deception until he was caught in 1945?

#104 – Spoils of War
Suspicions are aroused when Philip and his researcher Bendor spot a rogue picture for sale in a South African auction house. It exudes all the classic scent of being a “sleeper,” an important picture that has been miscataloged and offered for a very low price. But there’s a darker side revealed when investigations discover that it is a wanted painting, once thought to have been painted by Rembrandt and stolen by the Nazis during World War II.

Musician John Legend and comedian Wanda Sykes discover the extraordinary stories of the free black ancestors they never knew about on “Finding Your Roots” at 7 pm Sunday.

Sherlock and Watson pursue the trail of the Baskerville experiments – top-secret government research on genetically engineered gigantic animals for military use on Masterpiece Mystery! Presents: “Sherlock, Series II” at 8 pm Sunday and 8 pm Saturday.

Johnny Carson: American Masters at 8 pm Monday explores the life and career of “The Tonight Show” host through unprecedented access to Carson’s personal and professional archives.

Clinton: American Experience part two of two at 7 pm Tuesday explores the story of an American president who rose from a broken childhood in Arkansas to become one of the most successful politicians in modern American history.

Nature at 7 pm Wednesday examines the day-to-day dramas of an extended family of koalas, seen through the eyes of the scientists studying their every move and vocalization on “Cracking The Koala Code”.

Nova at 8 pm Wednesday reveals the untold final chapter of the Spanish conquest of Peru: not the Spanish walkover familiar from popular accounts, but rather a protracted and complex war of astonishing brutality that almost led to the Spanish losing their precarious foothold in the Andes in “The Great Inca Rebellion.”

Follow famed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey and his wife, Meave, daughter Louise and their colleagues as they work in the arid northern regions of Kenya’s Turkana Basin to unravel the mysteries of human evolution on Bones of Turkanaat 9 pm Wednesday.

The Decemberists and Gillian Welch showcase the best in contemporary songwriting on Austin City Limits at 10 pm Wednesday and 10 pm Friday.

Musician Chris Isaak talks about his career on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday.

On Arts In Context at 7:30 pm Thursday, world-renowned classical guitarist Jorge Caballero performs the classic work Pictures At An Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky.

Identify the busy bees in your garden and how to keep them around on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday. Tour the native gardens of Natural Bridge Caverns, where nature’s connection starts above ground.
Rising roots rock kings the Avett Brothers and Ohio-to-Austin transplants Heartless Bastards take over the Austin City Limits stage at 7 pm Saturday.

Nature “Cracking the Koala Code” at 7 pm
This program examines the day-to-day dramas of an extended family of koalas, seen through the eyes of the scientists studying their every move and vocalization. Fascinating social dynamics include territorial displays, vicious fighting and the surprising life and loves of a “traveling salesman,” a rogue male who truly plays the field. New science even “cracks the koala communication code,” providing insights into their basic language and social structure.

NOVA “The Great Inca Rebellion” at 8 pm
In an impoverished suburb of Lima, in an ancient cemetery crammed with more than 1,000 pre-Columbian mummies, Peruvian archaeologist Guillermo Cock makes a startling find. He discovers dozens of corpses that differ from all the rest: they were hastily buried and disfigured by appalling wounds and fractures inflicted by steel blades and crude bullets. Forensic experts diagnose these remains as victims of a little-known battle that pitted club-wielding Inca warriors against Spanish cavalry. The battle turns out to be a decisive turning point that helps explain a long-standing mystery about the Spanish conquest of Peru. How, in 1532, did a tiny band of Spanish soldiers crush the mighty Inca empire, then the most powerful civilization in the Americas, with a network of roads that spanned over 2,000 miles? Were the conquistadors’ obvious advantages — steel arms, gunpowder and horses — the key to their success, as is usually supposed? Or were disease and civil war more decisive factors that were downplayed by the Spanish chroniclers? With the help of this new evidence from the Lima cemetery, NOVA reveals the untold final chapter of the conquest: not the Spanish walkover familiar from popular accounts, but rather a protracted and complex war of astonishing brutality that almost led to the Spanish losing their precarious foothold in the Andes.

Bones of Turkana at 9 pm
Follow famed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey and his wife, Meave, daughter Louise and their colleagues as they work in the arid northern regions of Kenya’s Turkana Basin to unravel the mysteries of human evolution. While one of the Leakeys’ goals is to demonstrate the complexity and truth of human evolution, they also seek to show how the qualities that we proudly call human were all born in Africa. The story that emerges in the film is exciting, emotional, contemplative, occasionally funny and, in the end, transforming. This is Africa at its most beautiful and harshest.

We had a great time at the KLRU Birthday Party! We’re so glad so many of our fans came out to celebrate with us. Here’s a short video featuring highlights from the event. You can also see photos from the Birthday Party and our other anniversary week events at klru.org/inspiringaustin

Arts In Context taping of Bill Carter and the Blame
DATE: Friday, May 18th
TIME: 8 pm (doors open at 7 pm)
LOCATION: KLRU’s Studio 6A, original home to Austin City Limits (map)RSVP now

Bill Carter has been writing songs and performing with his band The Blame for more than three decades. Bill’s hits cover a broad range from Stevie Ray Vaughan’s only No. 1 song “Crossfire” to The Fabulous Thunderbirds “Why Get Up.” Arts In Context brings together an historic line up including Denny Freeman, Will Sexton, Dony Wynn, Cindy Cashdollar, Andy Salmon, David Holt and Glover Gill to perform some of Carter’s most memorable songs. A special limited edition poster will be available for sale for $10. The poster is designed by Bill Perkins to commemorate this historic event. Proceeds benefit KLRU-TV, Austin PBS. Special thanks to Live Oak Brewery, Tito’s Vodka and Moonshine Sweet Tea.

KLRU broadcasts programming created by and about people from all cultures year-round, from public affairs to history to independent film to kids programming. In celebration of Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, KLRU will broadcast a lineup of new and encore presentations honoring and exploring Asian American culture. more →

Sanjay Gupta, Margaret Cho and Martha Stewart are all children of first- or second-generation immigrants and share the peculiar burdens of that heritage on “Finding Your Roots” at 7 pm Sunday.

Sherlock and Watson are plunged into a case of blackmail involving crafty dominatrix Irene Adler on “Masterpiece Mystery! Presents: Sherlock, Series II” at 8 pm Sunday and 8 pm Saturday.

Clinton: American Experience part one of two at 7 pm Tuesday explores the story of an American president who rose from a broken childhood in Arkansas to become one of the most successful politicians in modern American history and one of the most complex and conflicted characters to ever stride across the public stage.

Nature at 7 pm Wednesday tells the story of two remarkable and extremely rare white lion cubs on their journey to adulthood in South Africa’s Kruger Park in “The White Lions”.

Nova at 8 pm Wednesday looks at the science behind the April 2011 tornado outbreak, meeting those affected and the scientists trying to predict tornadoes and understand whether this outbreak relates to global climate change in “Deadliest Tornadoes”.

With jaw-dropping 3-D graphics generated by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Nova at 9 pm Wednesday features spectacular footage of powerful Midwestern tornadoes and gives viewers a front-row seat to the risky and thrilling art of storm chasing in “Hunt for the Supertwister”.

Austin City Limits at 10 pm Wednesday and 10 pm Friday showcases the best in modern country with Miranda Lambert and Jeff Bridges.

Historian Mark Updegrove talks about his recent book Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday.

Arts in Context looks at what made the Trans-Pecos town of Marfa nestled near Big Bend National Park the desert destination it is today in “The Light and The Land” at 7:30 pm Thursday.

Join Chet Garner as he travels to South Padre Island for a day at the beach on “The Daytripper” at 8:30 pm Thursday.

Explore woven textiles and story quilts by artists Faith Ringgold of Harlem, Randall Darwall of Cape Cod, Consuelo Jimenez Underwood in California and Terese Agnew in Wisconsin on “Craft In America: Threads” at 9 pm Friday.

The Decemberists and Gillian Welch showcase the best in contemporary songwriting on Austin City Limits at 7 pm Saturday.

Nature “The White Lions” at 7 pm
This is the story of two remarkable and extremely rare white lion cubs on their journey to adulthood. Both are female, sisters born as white as snow in May 2009, in South Africa’s Kruger Park. Growing up on the savanna, they must not only overcome the same survival challenges that all young lion cubs must face, they must also overcome the threats their high visibility brings.

NOVA “Deadliest Tornadoes” at 8 pm
In April 2011, the worst tornado outbreak in decades left a trail of destruction across the U.S., killing more than 340 people. Why was there such an extreme outbreak? How do such outbreaks form? With modern warning systems why did so many die? Is our weather getting more extreme — and if so how bad will it get? This episode of NOVA looks at the science behind the April outbreak, meeting those affected and the scientists trying to predict tornadoes and understand whether this outbreak relates to global climate change.

NOVA “Hunt for the Supertwister” at 9 pm
A powerful tornado is a terrifying phenomenon that continues to defy decades of scientific efforts to predict it. During one of the worst tornado seasons on record, a NOVA camera team chased across the Midwest, capturing hair-raising footage of highly destructive twisters in action. But this is much more than just another “extreme weather” show, focusing on the efforts of two scientists at the University of Oklahoma to develop radically different approaches to forecasting twisters: one relies on “virtual tornados” created inside supercomputers, while the other involves hunting down real-life storms to collect data firsthand (the method that inspired the movie Twister). With jaw-dropping 3-D graphics generated by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, “Hunt for the Supertwister” features spectacular footage of these terrifying twisters and gives viewers a front-row seat to the risky and thrilling art of storm chasing.